It’s not surprising that girls love geology, as in rocks and minerals. Boys do too, but it’s just a hop, skip, and jump from rocks and minerals to jewelry and gems. My oldest had a pretty good rock and mineral collection but finally, after giving her room a solid purging, they ended up in the side garden where they sparkle in a tempting way every time we walk past them going in and out of the car. The rocks and minerals were gathered mostly from the Museums of Sciences in various cities from the gift shops where there is a flat fee for the filled pouch.
I had visions of “Science Fair” displays and delving into mineralogy but that never happened. Oh well. It will be fun to excavate that part of the yard for the stones one day! How about you? Are your kids fascinated by rocks and minerals? And if so, are they itching to identify them, or do they just like shiny, pretty things like my kids? Ok, so maybe they are future gemologists, not mineralogists. That’s fine too (and will probably result in better Mother’s Day gifts!)
Rocks and Minerals Earth Science to Get Girls Interested in STEM!
I found some great sites for rocks and minerals from a homeschooling site if you want to explore this topic further with your kids.
- Kids Love Rocks
- Fourth Grade Experiments with Rocks
- Science Experiment With Rocks That Absorb Water
- Experiments on how rocks freeze, absorb water, erode, or dissolve
Below is a great video to identify rocks:
Where Wonder Grows by Xelena González, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia
Within the rocks, crystals, meteorites, and shells in Grandma’s garden are stories that she reveals to her granddaughters. Wonder blooms in each rock that was formed long before humans inhabited the earth, and each possesses knowledge. There is more information in the back matter about Indigenous cultures and how they used rocks in their ceremonies. [picture book, ages 3 and up]
p.s. Related posts:
31+ STEM Books to Inspire Girls
4th Grade Science Study Guides: Weather, Rocks & Minerals, Moon Phases
Really Fun Videos of STEM Experiments for Kids
STEM Books on Scientific Minds, Methods, & Discovery
DIY Bee House STEM Project for Kids
STEM Science Project: DIY iPhone Microscope
Watch, Learn, DO: DIY STEM Summer Camp
Video Games for STEM Summer Learning
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Science Fun on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me